Rumbelle - Mirror of Erised
by harrygirl320
Summary: Rumple keeps the Mirror of Erised in his castle. Rumbelle Dark Castle - spoilers for 1x12, no spoilers or characters for Harry Potter


Rumple's castle had never been small.

Even when he had first created it, it had started off big, and throughout the years it had gotten darker, dustier, and more cluttered. Countless rooms filled the endless hallways, packed with the results of silly little deals with desperate peasants from the outlying farmlands. He had no idea how many things he had, or how much it was all worth; only that it was enough to buy out entire kingdoms.

But there was one room, at the far end of a corridor in the west wing that stood out in his mind. He remembered clearly what had been put in there, framed in the center by old curtains hanging from the ceiling.

The Mirror of Erised. The mirror that, according to legend, would show you what your heart most desired.

And he also remembered the day he first uncovered it, going against the warnings he had heard and peering inside it anyway – and he remembered gasping as he saw his son's face in the mirror, and feeling a pain in his chest when the harsh smoothness of the glass prevented him from touching Baelfire's face.

And how could he forget all the countless hours he sat in front of that damn thing? Staring helplessly at the innocent smile looking straight at him, trusting him, loving him.

It was when he realized a month had passed by that he decided he couldn't do this anymore.

Sitting alone in the castle when the mirror was right there waiting for him was too big of a temptation, one he knew he wasn't strong enough to resist. But at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to get rid of it.

So he decided to get a maid.

And that had gone well, for a while. Until, of course, he had to go and fall in love with her.

And he still remembered the week that Belle had found the mirror.

She had been wandering around the castle, not neglecting her jobs – but doing them as if walking around in a dream. Her usual, bright smile was replaced by one that was only half there. But the thing that most got him was her books; they were untouched, and that had never happened before.

And since she avoided his questioning, well, he had no choice but to follow her. He couldn't help but be slightly surprised as she wandered into the room that held that the mirror.

He watched as she sat down, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and gaze up into the mirror just as he had done for so many days.

He couldn't help but feel a burning curiosity as to what she was seeing.

"Belle?" He called out, a smirk forming on his lips.

He watched carefully as she jumped in surprise and spun around to face him, blushing furiously as she stumbled in her attempt to stand up. "R-Rumple, I…I didn't see you there."

"I'm sure," he said, striding over. He shot a glance towards the mirror – but with no luck. Whatever she had seen was invisible to him.

After letting a moment of silence pass, Belle spoke. "What is this?" She asked hesitantly. "It's obviously no ordinary mirror."

"Well, it depends." He tilted his head. "What do you see?"

She looked down for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell him. Finally, she looked back up and said, "Well, it's…it's me. And I'm home, with my father."

He felt his heart sink. He was a monster, keeping her locked up like this. No wonder she looked in the mirror so much, it must be better than staying with such a horrible, cruel –

"And you," she finished, and a hint of hesitation was still clear in her voice. "You're there too."

He stopped suddenly, at a complete loss for words. "M-Me?" He asked. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." She looked at him in confusion. "So what does it mean? What does this mirror show you?"

He could only stare at her before replying.

"No one knows."

But of course, _he_ did. It showed you the deepest desires of your heart.

And even long after Belle had gone, when he looked into the mirror once again and saw that she had joined Baelfire in smiling down at him, he knew that it was true.


End file.
